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A new report ranks Illinois as the seventh dirtiest state when it comes to carbon pollution from its power plants.

The
state's power plants are the single biggest source of carbon pollution
in Illinois, producing 41 percent of statewide emissions, according to
the study issued Wednesday by the Environment Illinois Research and
Education Center.

Each year, Illinois' power plants spew as much carbon pollution as 19.6 million cars.

“America's
dirtiest power plants are the elephant in the room when it comes to
global warming," Environment Illinois Campaign Director Lisa Nikodem
said in a statement. "If we want a cleaner, safer future for our kids,
we can't afford to ignore power plants' overwhelming contribution to
global warming. For Illinois, tackling the problem means cleaning up the
dirtiest power plants.”

The findings come as the Obama
administration moves ahead with new guidelines meant to address global
warming. On Friday, the U.S. EPA released an updated proposal that looks to cut carbon pollution for the first time from new coal-fired power plants. The EPA is expected to take up proposed emission standards for existing power plants next year, with the finalized proposal set to come in 2015.

“The
U.S. has an opportunity and a responsibility to be a leader in reducing
carbon emissions, and yet our power plants alone emit more than almost
any other entire country…We can't afford not to act," U.S. Rep. Jan
Schakowsky (D, IL-9) said in a statement. "I look forward to strong
rules from the U.S. EPA to limit carbon emissions for new and existing
power plants."

The top five polluting power plants in the state are Baldwin Energy Complex, Powerton, Joppa Steam, Newton, and Joliet 29. The Baldwin Energy Complex, operated by Dynegy Midwest Generation,. Inc., was ranked the 24th most polluting power plant in the country.

The future of a now closed Illinois power plant

Environmentalists and Chicago residents did win a victory last year when officials at Midwest Generation announced that they had reached an agreement with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to close its Fisk coal-fired power plant in Pilsen and Crawford coal plant in Little Village. What will become of the sites that house the now shuttered plants is still a big question mark, however.

The
Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization (PERRO), which
worked for years to shut down the plants, is represented on the mayor's
Fisk and Crawford Reuse Task Force, which was formed in April 2012 to come up with economic development and job creation alternatives for the land.

As part of its duties on the task force, PERRO began holding public forums last year about redeveloping the Fisk site located on Cermak Road.
Following those community meetings, PERRO produced a design that looked
to transform the site's parking lot into a green and multi-use space
with paths that stretch along the south branch of the Chicago river,
which runs adjacent to the plant. The proposal had overwhelming support from the Pilsen community.

But
at a follow-up public forum Thursday night, Jerry Mead-Lucero, an organizer
with PERRO, said the plan has received no blessing from the city nor the
task force. That's mainly because Midwest Generation changed its mind
about giving up the parking lot for redevelopment, said Mead-Lucero, who
sits on the task force.

Midwest Generation and Commonwealth Edison,
which also owns land at the site, have offered up an alternative plan,
however, which is backed by the city and task force, Mead-Lucero
said.

The new plan involves two pieces of land that abut the
river near Throop Avenue, a side street. One section is owned by Midwest
Generation and the other by ComEd, which has green-lighted the land's
redevelopment. But obtaining the other section of land hinges on whether
the new property owner that buys the land from Midwest Generation signs off on its redevelopment. A new property owner hasn't been identified as of yet.

As
part of the second proposal, the task force has suggested a river walk,
a green space with places for children to play and a skate park. One
task force member has also floated an idea to turn a barge into a pool.

But
those at Thursday's meeting, which was attended by more than 50 people, weren't
entirely sold on the second proposal. Various people cited concerns that
the two pieces of land in question are hidden from the busy Cermak
Road, which may attract crime and other illegal activity.

She
added that there are opportunities, however, to form creative partnerships
and create things likes an outdoor classroom or a soccer field at the site, which would bring
more people to the area.

Dorian Breuer, a spokesman for PERRO, said
the realistic possibility that's emerging from the task force is moving
away from what the community clearly said it wanted during PERRO's
earlier public input process. Overall, he said it would take a lot of effort to make the first proposal a reality, but added that PERRO is "perfectly happy to have a big fight".

"One
of the reasons why we were invited on the task force I think is that
there's an acknowledgment, perhaps on the mayor's part, that a group
like ours does seek public opinion, and if we're outside of the table we
get real loud," Breuer stressed.